The Clans United
by Willowsmoke of ShadowClan
Summary: It has been a long time since the battle with the Dark Forest, but there is a new Darkness threatening to destroy the five warrior Clans. StarClan has chosen five cats- one from each Clan- to unite all cats to destroy the Darkness. Can they work together to save the Clans? Or are they doomed to lose everything they ever loved? My first fanfic, please read!
1. Prologue

**Hi! Welcome to my story, _The Clans United. _(Sorry the title sucks. I'm not good at naming) Anyways, this is my first fanfic, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome! I sincerely hope you like my story.**

**-Willowsmoke of ShadowClan**

ALLEGIANCES

**ShadowClan**

_Leader_: Darkstar- big, black-brown tom with dark amber eyes

_Deputy_: Honeyleap- light brown she-cat with ginger legs and amber eyes

_Medicine Cat_: Cloudheart- gray and white tom with pale green eyes

_Warriors_: Fogpelt- thick-furred dark gray she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Apprentice- Nightpaw

Dawnglow- pale gold she-cat with dark orange eyes

Ravenwing- glossy black she-cat with a long tail and golden eyes

Sunfire- large, dark orange tom with dark green eyes

Rowanflame- large, bright ginger tom with dark green eyes

Moonshine- dark silver she-cat with blue eyes and a long, fluffy tail

Featherfall- long-haired, bright silver she-cat with blue eyes and a plumy tail

Clawscratch- very dark gray tom with blue eyes and long claws

Apprentice- Blackpaw

Dustyfern- small, dark brown tabby she-cat with bright green eyes

Lizardclaw- brownish-gray tom with amber eyes

Frogstep- light brown tom with dark brown eyes

Snakefang- dark brown tom with yellow eyes

Thrushflight- pale gray she-cat with white forepaws and blue-gray eyes

Rosemist- dark red she-cat with bright amber eyes

Berryleaf- creamy-white she-cat with blue eyes

Lionfur- golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Poolstream- gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Wolfskip- white she-cat with tabby patches, one blue eye, and one yellow eye

Snowbreeze- fluffy white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Sootwhisker- black tom with dark blue eyes

_Apprentices_: Nightpaw- pitch-black tom with yellow eyes

Blackpaw- sleek black she-cat with a white chest and yellow eyes

_Queens_: Petaldusk- dark, brownish-gold she-cat with bright green eyes (mother to Darkstar's kits, Nettlekit- white she-cat with black flecks and pale blue eyes, and Willowkit- black she-cat with barely visible darker flecks and stripes and bright silver eyes)

Blizzardtail- mottled ginger-and-white she-cat with a dark brown tail and pale amber eyes (expecting Clawscratch's kits)

_Elders_: Tangleweed- thick-furred tabby tom with green eyes, blind in one eye, oldest cat in ShadowClan

Flowerfoot- tortoiseshell she-cat with white legs and dark gray eyes, retired early due to permanently injured shoulder

Mossfeather- very small brown-and-white she-cat with bright green eyes

**ThunderClan**

_Leader_: Oakstar- brown tom with amber eyes

_Deputy_: Stormtail- blackish-gray tom with blue eyes

_Medicine Cat_: Fallowflight- small light brown she-cat with yellow-gold eyes

Apprentice: Wingpaw

_Warriors_: Brightfoot- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Birchleaf- bright ginger she-cat with green eyes

Smokeblaze- dark gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Dewypaw

Cinderfall- light gray tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Morningpaw

Emberglow- black tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Dawnpaw

Mothleap- tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Flywing- tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Mudcloud- brown tom with white splashes and bright yellow eyes

Apprentice: Ashpaw

Redstep- mottled dark red-and-brown tom with green eyes, flecked with yellow

Twigwhisker- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Mistember- pale gray she-cat with spiky fur and bright orange eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Goldendawn- golden tabby she-cat with amber-orange eyes

Jayfoot- gray tabby tom with blue-green eyes

Apprentice: Applepaw

Hawkswoop- gray she-cat with ginger paws and blue eyes

_Apprentices_: Wingpaw- white she-cat with blue eyes

Tigerpaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Applepaw- dark brown-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

Morningpaw- dark white, almost grayish tom with pale blue eyes

Dewypaw- sleek red, white, and yellow tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Dawnpaw- thick-furred creamy brown she-cat with amber eyes

Ashpaw- silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

_Queens_: Grassgleam- tabby-and-white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Cinderfall's kits, Flamekit- reddish tabby tom with amber eyes, Mosskit- ginger she-cat with amber eyes, and Dovekit- pale gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes)

Flowermoss- snowy white she-cat with gray-green eyes (expecting Redstep's kits)

Softpelt- fluffy very pale gray she-cat with silvery-gray eyes (expecting Twigwhisker's kits)

_Elders_: Berrysnow- blue-gray she-cat with white forelegs and blue eyes

Icelake- white tom with pale gray and dark gray flecks and cloudy blue eyes; failing sight

**RiverClan**

_Leader_: Streamstar- elderly, gray-and-white she-cat with ice-blue eyes

_Deputy_: Flailfish- black tom with a twisted forepaw, one amber eye, and one blue eye

_Medicine Cat_: Graylake- dark gray tom with sea-green eyes

Apprentice: Feathersplash

_Warriors_: Mouseheart- small, dark ginger tom with green eyes

Duckwing- glossy blue-black she-cat with gleaming blue eyes

Apprentice: Splashpaw

Swanfeather- glossy black-and-white she-cat with gleaming blue-green eyes

Apprentice- Guppypaw

Leapflight- black-brown tom with green eyes

Stonestep- gray tom with blue eyes

Pebbleskip- mottled gray-and-dark gray tom with blue eyes

Patchleap- brown-and-white tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Squirrelpaw

Sparrownose- dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Lakestream- white she-cat with pale gray patches and yellow eyes

Fishpelt- dark gray-and-white tabby tom with smoky blue eyes

Frogfur- gray-and-white tom with very pale blue eyes

Ashtail- pitch-black tom with dark amber eyes

Brackenfrost- light brown she-cat with white legs and ice-blue eyes

Apprentice: Heronpaw

_Apprentices_: Feathersplash- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Squirrelpaw- ginger tabby she-cat with darker flecks and dark brown eyes

Heronpaw- dark brown tom with yellow eyes

Splashpaw- gray tom with a white belly and blue eyes

Guppypaw- pale gray-and-white tabby she-cat with green eyes

_Queens_: Tansyleaf- tortoiseshell-and-cream she-cat with green eyes (mother to Ashtail's kits, Stormkit- blackish-gray tom with green eyes, Eaglekit- creamy-brown tom with amber eyes, Marigoldkit- tortoiseshell she-cat with one yellow eye and one green eye, and Whitekit- white she-cat with dark gray paws and blue eyes)

Rainfall- light gray she-cat with darker flecks and blue eyes (mother to Leapflight's kits, Adderkit- dark brown tom with green eyes, and Mintkit- pale gray she-cat with blue eyes)

Blossompetal- brown-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes (expecting Frogfur's kits)

_Elders_: Voleclaw- tortoiseshell tom with dark ginger ears and blue eyes

Goldgorse- plump, golden-brown she-cat with thick, wild fur and brown eyes, oldest cat in RiverClan

**WindClan**

_Leader_: Snowstar- small, lithe white she-cat with pale gray eyes

_Deputy_: Sleetstorm- black she-cat with white flecks and ice-blue eyes

_Medicine Cat_: Birdwing- brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Warriors_: Runningstep- wiry tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Sunnypaw

Rabbitprance- small black tom with light brown forelegs, white chest and underbelly, and brown eyes

Apprentice: Amberpaw

Toadleap- reddish-ginger tom with green eyes

Swiftwind- silver-gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Softbreeze- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice- Brightpaw

Smalltail- small tortoiseshell she-cat with an extremely short tail

Foxfern- bright ginger she-cat with green eyes and a scar over one eye

Apprentice: Flamepaw

Cloudsky- white tom with gray patches and clear blue eyes

Cranestripe- white tom with black tabby stripes and silver eyes

Rainsplash- light gray she-cat with darker legs and dark blue eyes

Flightheart- fluffy white she-cat with dark amber eyes

Ferntwist- gray she-cat with darker stripes on her face and green eyes

Mousebird- nimble dusky brown she-cat with amber eyes

Darkpelt- very dark red tom with brown forelegs and green eyes

Jumpleaf- black tom with bright green eyes

Leopardfang- golden-brown tom with darker flecks and golden eyes

Duskrain- golden-brown she-cat with darker stripes and golden eyes

Badgerclaw- black-and-white tom with blue eyes

Mistwater- very pale gray she-cat with deep, ocean blue eyes

_Apprentices_: Flamepaw- ginger tom with white paws and tail tip and ice-blue eyes

Amberpaw- dark ginger tom with piercing green eyes

Brightpaw- bright ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Sunnypaw- white she-cat with very bright ginger patches and orange eyes

_Queens_: Robinfeather- red, dark red, and white tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes (expecting Swiftwind's kits)

_Elders_: Swallowflight- long-haired white she-cat with blind green eyes

Kinkfoot- brown tabby she-cat with violet eyes, retired early due to twisted forepaw

Dawnleap- golden she-cat with darker tabby stripes and amber eyes

Spottedfawn- long-legged, light brown she-cat with white spots along back, white underbelly, and blue eyes

**SkyClan**

_Leader_: Eaglestar- dark gray tom with very dark blue eyes

_Deputy_: Twigheart- long-legged light brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Sorrelpaw

_Medicine Cat_: Brightsun- bright ginger-and-white tom with green eyes

_Warriors_: Silverwillow- thick-furred silver-and-white she-cat with sky blue eyes

Whitesnow- very fluffy white she-cat with sky blue eyes

Sunfur- bright yellow tabby tom with amber eyes

Junipertail- gray tom with amber eyes

Harp- very dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, former loner

Dovesong- dark gray she-cat with dark blue eyes

Whiskerpelt- pale brown tom with amber eyes and torn ears

_Apprentices_: Sorrelpaw- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with violet eyes, former loner

_Queens_: Song- very dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, former loner (mother to Junipertail's kits, Stormkit- dark gray tom with green eyes, and Lightningkit- dark brown she-cat with amber eyes)

**Prologue**

The full moon shone down on four cats with stars in their fur, sitting around a pool. The pool was still, though it shimmered and seemed to breathe as though it had a life of it's own.

The largest of the gathered cats, a large, white tom with jet-black paws and amber eyes, gave a growl of annoyance. "How long will we have to wait?" He grumbled. A flame-colored tom gave the white cat a glare through bright green eyes. "Patience, Blackstar. She will be here soon." Blackstar huffed in exasperation, but did not speak.

The only she-cat in the group, a gray she-cat with blue eyes, spoke up. "Firestar is right, Blackstar. Remember that her own Clan has been attacked, and nearly destroyed, by the Darkness. You would be keeping close watch over them as well, if I am not mistaken." Blackstar's eyes narrowed in anger, but the she-cat continued. "Besides, if we are to defeat this Darkness, we must work together. If StarClan is not united, then how can we expect the Clans to be?"

Firestar dipped his head towards the she-cat. "Thank you, Mistystar. Though I advise you do not mention the Darkness here. We do not want to lure it in sooner than it has to be here." The gathered cats murmured agreement.

Blackstar turned to the last of the four cats, a lithe, light brown tabby tom with amber eyes. "You've been awfully quiet this whole time, Onestar. What is your opinion on this matter?" The white tom's voice was calm and politely curious, but held an edge to it that suggested otherwise. Onestar's gaze shot up and met with his challenger's. "If you are suggesting something, Blackstar, I suggest you say it. Implied meanings can easily be...misinterpreted." Blackstar's lip curled. "I don't know what you're talking about. I meant exactly what I said- a mere question. Although your lack of an answer definitely _does_ imply a certain meaning." He mewed coldly. Onestar opened his jaws to retaliate, but the two toms' bickering was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes surrounding the pool.

A brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes stepped out and joined the four cats already there. She dipped her head to each of the cats in turn. "Firestar. Mistystar. Onestar. Blackstar. It's good to see you again." Firestar bounded forward to greet her, his eyes shining with warmth for the she-cat. "Leafstar! I've missed you!" He cried, touching his muzzle to hers. Leafstar purred in return. "I've missed you too, old friend."

Onestar cleared his throat loudly. "This is all very touching, but can we get down to business? I don't know about you, but I have things I would like to do sometime this moon." Leafstar dipped her head apologetically to the former WindClan leader. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was just making sure my Clan is making the journey safely."

"No one blames you for that." Firestar quickly assured his old friend. "But Onestar's right. We need to choose the cats who will unite the Clans against the Darkness."

A solemn silence fell over the five gathered cats, broken by Blackstar's deep voice. "I will show my choice first." He padded to the edge of the pool as he spoke, and gazed into the star-filled water. The surface flickered momentarily, then lay still, but it had changed. Instead of reflecting the stars, it now held the image of a small, very young black-furred she-cat with bright silver eyes. Leafstar examined her every detail, from her slender body and long legs to her thick but short fur; from her white tail tip, toes, and underbelly to her darker black flecks and stripes. Blackstar watched her carefully until the SkyClan leader nodded in approval. The others murmured agreement.

The she-cat disappeared from the pool, her silver eyes the last to fade.

Mistystar stepped up to the pool next. In it appeared a young, but large and muscular, dark brown tom with yellow eyes. Firestar was the only one who looked uncertain. "I see why you made this choice, Mistystar, but are you sure he will be able to work with the others?" The blue-gray she-cat bristled. "He may be proud, but he is loyal, and will do anything to protect his Clan. If you can understand why I made my choice, you would do well to respect it." She retorted, her blue eyes flashing.

Leafstar stepped forward before the two leaders could get into a worse argument. The four others watched the pool as a pretty, tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with warm, happy violet eyes formed in the pool. Leafstar glared at Blackstar before he could comment. "She may not be Clanborn, but she is as loyal as any pure-blooded cat." The huge white tom dipped his head, amber eyes unblinking. "I wasn't going to say anything." He mewed smoothly.

Firestar's eyes glinted with a hint of pride as he made his choice- a graceful, silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes. Onestar looked thoughtful. "A descendant of Ivypool, is she not?" Firestar nodded. "She is." The flame-colored leader sounded uncertain, as though he were not sure what Onestar's reaction would be. He had nothing to worry about, however. "Then she will be brave and strong, a good choice." Firestar looked pleased with Onestar's response, so the brown tabby moved towards the pool, so close his paw tips touched the edge of the water.

A dark ginger tom, thin and lithe, slightly on the small side, with piercing green eyes. Onestar waited until all the cats had agreed on his choice before he sat back down, looking pleased.

The cats were silent for several long heartbeats before Firestar spoke. "We have made our choices. We must now depend on these cats to save the Clans. We do not have enough power to do it for them." Leafstar spoke. "The full moon is tonight. We should tell our chosen cats about this...predicament... at the half moon. We have to make it clear that the survival of the Clans depends on them working together. Do you all agree?"

The other leaders nodded their consent.

"Good. If they cannot learn to put aside their differences long enough to see that, underneath the scent marks, they are all the same, then the Clans cannot be destined for success."

As she spoke, dark clouds drifted across the sky, moved by an unfelt breeze, covering the moon and submerging StarClan in darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi! Sorry it took me so long to update- I had a bit of writer's block for this chapter, and then I couldn't figure out how to update my story. :p Technology has never agreed with me. Anyways, thanks to Light Of The MoonSong, dragons 790, Scipio PB, Brighteyes of Thunderclan, and Commander Nightmare for reviewing. Reviews are an authors best friend! I know you're probably getting tired of me babbling on, so I'll get to the story. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Willowkit woke to sunlight filtering through the branches of the nursery, warming her thick but short black pelt. With a wide yawn, she got to her paws and shook moss from her fur. It was well past sunhigh, almost sunset. Since they were too excited to sleep the night before, Willowkit had convinced her sister to take a nap before the ceremony.

After giving herself a quick grooming, she turned to her sister, Nettlekit, who was still curled up in a tight ball fast asleep. Willowkit prodded Nettlekit's black-flecked, snowy white flank with one paw until she woke up.

"Wha…?" Nettlekit raised her head, eyes still blurry with sleep. Willowkit gave her an affectionate lick on the ear.

"Have you forgotten what today is?" She inquired, barely able to contain her excitement.

Nettlekit frowned in confusion for a moment, before her eyes brightened in joy. "Today's our apprentice ceremony!" She squealed, leaping to her paws and bouncing around the nursery.

"Shh!" Willowkit hushed her sister. "Don't wake up Blizzardtail!" Both she-cats glanced guiltily at the queen, whose mottled ginger-and-white flank was rising and falling with each breath, her dark brown tail curled protectively around her kit-swollen belly.

"When do you think her kits will be born?" Nettlekit wondered aloud. "Cloudheart said they should come any day now." Willowkit thought about the aging medicine cat, hoping he would accept her request and allow her to become his apprentice. Ever since she was a moon old, she had spent a good deal of her time with the aging gray-and-white tom, learning about herbs and how to treat sick or injured cats.

Nettlekit's loud sigh broke Willowkit out of her thoughts. "I wish we would have gotten a chance to play with the kits before we became apprentices."

Blizzardtail had woken up in time to hear the young cat's words, and she looked at her kindly. "You can still come back and play with them once you are apprentices. You'll always be welcome."

Nettlekit purred in thanks, before asking where their mother, Petaldusk, was. "She went out to catch you something tasty for your last meal as kits. Speaking of, you should go outside and play. It'll be your last chance for a while."

Following the queen's advice, Nettlekit formed a mossball from their nest and bounded outside, Willowkit at her heels. As they tossed the mossball back and forth, Willowkit felt her anticipation growing. _StarClan, please have Cloudheart accept me as his apprentice._ Her silent prayer was interrupted as Petaldusk padded through the entrance to camp, a squirrel clamped firmly in her jaws,

The two sisters gaped at their mother's catch. The Clan had just been through a long, hard leafbare, and none of the cats had seen prey that good for a long time.

"That squirrel looks amazing!" Nettlekit mewed excitedly. With a purr, Petaldusk set the fresh-kill in front of her kits before meowing, "I'll be with your father if you need me." She padded off to the den of their leader, and father, Darkstar.

As Willowkit and Nettlekit ate their meal, Nettlekit voiced her own apprehension about the apprentice ceremony. "I wonder who my mentor will be. I wish it could be Clawscratch- he's the best fighter in the Clan. But Blackpaw's already got him." She finished with a glum sigh, and then looked up as a mew sounded behind Willowkit. "Who have I got?" Blackpaw asked.

"Clawscratch as your mentor." Nettlekit explained. The black apprentice's ears twitched. "Yeah, he's pretty great. But there are plenty of other good fighter's in the Clan. Don't worry; Darkstar will give you a good mentor." The young she-cat bent her head to lick down her white chest fur, then looked up, her yellow eyes gleaming. "And once you're an apprentice, you can train with me and Nightpaw!"

"That's right." Blackpaw's slightly larger brother appeared beside her, looking quite similar to her except for the fact that he didn't have the white flash on his chest that she did. Nightpaw continued, "We can show you a bunch of the battle moves and hunting techniques, too."

Nettlekit looked excited by the prospect of training with her older friends, while Willowkit wondered if she would have to train with them, too. It wasn't that she had anything against Nightpaw and Blackpaw- the two were only two moons older than Nettlekit and Willowkit, so they had grown up together- but more that she would give her tail to train as a medicine cat.

"Willowkit! Did you hear what I said?" Nettlekit's mew broke through her thoughts.

"Sorry. What was that?" Willowkit mewed, feeling guilty that she had been ignoring her sister.

Nettlekit flicked her over the ear with her tail. "I _said_ Darkstar's leaving his den now."

Willowkit couldn't help but feel apprehension mixed with her excitement. _What if I trip and fall in front of the whole Clan?_

As though she had read her sister's thoughts, Nettlekit gave her a reassuring lick on the shoulder. "Don't worry! You'll be fine."

Giving a thankful purr, Willowkit got to her paws and trotted over to where the Clan would gather with Nettlekit, Nightpaw, and Blackpaw.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!" Darkstar's yowl sounded around the camp, causing all the cats to gather beneath the large pine in one part of the camp.

Perched on a branch among the shadows, dark amber eyes gleaming, Darkstar looked strong and fierce- a perfect ShadowClan leader. Willowkit felt a rush of pride that this cat was her father.

"Today we are gathered to perform an important ceremony. Two of our kits have reached their sixth moon, and the time has come for them to become apprentices."

Excitement tingled through the young she-cat as she stared up at her father.

"Nettlekit, Willowkit, step forward."

The two kits complied, until they stood in front of the gathered cats, pelts gleaming healthily and eyes glowing bright.

"Nettlekit, from this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Nettlepaw."

"Nettlepaw! Nettlepaw!"

"Thrushflight, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Nettlepaw."

The pale gray she-cat stepped forward, looking pleasantly surprised. _That's a good choice_. Willowkit thought as Thrushflight and Nettlepaw touched noses, then sat down among the gathered cats. _Thrushflight is young and can have fun with Nettlepaw, but she will bring out the serious side in my sister when it's necessary_.

"Willowkit, from this day forward you will be known as Willowpaw." Willowpaw felt more nervous than ever as the cats cheered her new name and as she waited for Darkstar to announce her mentor.

"Cloudheart, step forward." _Yes!_ "Willowpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Cloudheart?"

"I do." She meowed, pleased that her voice sounded clear and steady.

"Cloudheart, you have proven yourself to be a skilled and loyal medicine cat. I trust that you will pass on these qualities to Willowpaw."

"I will, Darkstar." The aging medicine cat rasped. He touched noses with his new apprentice.

"Nettlepaw! Willowpaw! Nettlepaw! Willowpaw!"

Pride filled Willowpaw as her Clan called her name. She glanced at Nettlepaw beside her. Her sister's black-flecked, snowy white pelt was spiking in excitement, and her pale blue eyes gleamed happily.

Thrushflight padded up next to her new apprentice, looking proud that she had been selected to mentor the Clan leader's daughter.

"We don't have time to train today before the Gathering, but we can settle you in the apprentice's den so you can sleep comfortably tonight."

Nettlepaw, who had looked disappointed at the news that she couldn't train, brightened considerably. "Thanks Thrushflight! I'll catch you later, okay, Willowpaw?" Nettlepaw turned toward her sister while she started backing away towards the apprentice's den.

"Okay! See you later." She mewed in response to her sister, who bounded off to her new den, calling, "See you!" over her shoulder.

Cloudheart padded up beside Willowpaw, startling her and causing her to jump.

Her mentor purred in amusement. "Come on; let's get you settled in the medicine den."

She trotted after him and into the den that had become like a second home to her, even when she was a kit. She grabbed a bundle of moss, bracken, and ferns from Cloudheart's store of it, and formed a comfortable nest from them. Cloudheart helped her, and they were done quickly.

"Why don't you go get some fresh-kill? We'll be leaving for the Gathering soon."

"Okay!" Willowpaw mewed brightly. She became a medicine cat apprentice, and got to go to her first Gathering, all in the same day! How could it ever get better?

**Please don't hurt me! I know it was a cheesy ending, but I'm famous for those. Did you like the rest of it? Tell me in your review! Let's try to get three more reviews before I update again. I will try to update in the next week, but I can't make any promises. I'm busy with school, and writing takes time. Until next time,  
****Willowsmoke out.**_  
_


	3. Chapter 2

**I'm back! I think I'm getting the hang of updating my story. At least I did it faster this time! Reviews:**

**Commander Nightmare- I appreciate the advice. Thanks!**

**Brighteyes of ThunderClan- Thank you! I rarely have someone like my writing style that much, so it means a lot to me for you to say that.**

**AdequatelyOreo- I know what you mean. It's hard for me to start a story with a lot of excitement, but I think this chapter is an improvement. :)**

**On to the story!**

Chapter 2

_The kit struggled through the swirling blizzard, struggled through the snow dragging at her belly fur._

_The flakes coated her tortoiseshell pelt, turning it white, but the kit didn't care._

_She could no longer feel her ears. Before that, it had been her paws; before that, her nose._

_Her ears flattened against her head, trying to block out the sound of the shrieking wind, ripping violently and her fur, threatening to carry her away._

_The kit held back a wail as images- memories- flashed through her head._

The kit cowered under a gorse bush, trembling.

_She couldn't see a mouse-length in front of her; the snow, flying into her eyes, was blinding._

A larger tortoiseshell she-cat stood in front of the bush, in between the kit and a russet beast.

_Even the kit's anger at herself could no longer keep her warm._

The tortoiseshell she-cat snarled. The fox advanced.

Fern, _The kit thought to herself. _That was her name.

The fox leapt, and Fern tried to duck.

_As she relived the memory, the kit once more called out, called out for her mother to move, move out of the way. But no matter what she did now, she couldn't change what had happened._

The fox lashed out, gripped Fern's throat in its fanged jaws.

_The kit opened her jaws to scream, but no sound came out. She tried again. Silence._

The fox dropped the limp, tortoiseshell body onto the ground.

I can't. _The kit collapsed into a snowdrift. _I can't keep going.

The body landed with a thud.

_Her mother's voice echoed in the kit's numb, frozen ears. _Never be afraid to look to the stars, my love. They will always be with you, even when you cannot see, for light always shines brightest in the dark. _The kit looked to the stars now. She couldn't see them. She couldn't see anything._

The fox glanced towards the bush where the kit was hiding. Curling its lip in disgust, it bent its head and picked up the limp body of the kit's mother in its jaws. It disappeared into the woods.

_The kit blinked slowly. She heard… voices._

_She slowly opened her jaws to speak, but it seemed the cold had frozen her voice along with every other part of her._

You did it earlier; you can do it now! _The kit told herself fiercely. She heard the voices again, closer this time._

"_I'm telling you, Mintstar, I heard a cat cry out." A tom said, sounding distressed._

"_I don't doubt you, Molepaw, but it's not healthy to be out in this weather. We'll only look for a little longer."_

_The she-cat who spoke had a gentle, but firm and assertive voice. _

_The kit realized with a jolt that she could hear pawsteps crunching through the snow. _

"_Mintstar!" The tom- Molepaw- cried out in surprise._

_The kit could see him now. He was not much older than her; maybe only half a moon. _

_His bright, friendly green eyes held hers as he bounded towards her._

"_It's okay. I'm going to help you."_

_That was all that the kit saw before blackness overwhelmed her._

_When the kit awoke, she was in a sandy den, in a comfortable nest of moss._

_Terror crashed over her._

Where am I?

_Looking around wildly, she saw Molepaw sitting next to her nest._

_Odd as it was, she felt comfortable with the young tom. _

"_Hey, it's okay. You're in SkyClan, and you're safe now." He meowed comfortingly._

_The kit glanced around the strange den._

"_Please don't leave me." She whimpered pathetically._

_Molepaw's beautiful eyes gazed into hers._

"_Never."_

"Sorrelpaw! Wake up!" A harsh voice sounded in the ear of the young tortoiseshell, breaking her out of her dream.

Whiskerpelt stood over her, his pale brown pelt pricking with annoyance.

"You've been asleep since sunhigh! What are you, a dormouse?" Sorrelpaw got to her paws and arched her back in a long stretch.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." The apprentice glanced up at the sky, surprised to see that it was almost past sunset.

Whiskerpelt snorted in annoyance before padding off to join Dovesong, who was grooming her dark gray pelt.

Sorrelpaw's good almost permanent good mood faltered slightly as she thought about her dream.

That memory had haunted her mind when she was both awake and asleep since she had joined SkyClan, and now, it was joined with another memory.

Grief flooded through the young apprentice as she remembered Molepaw. The first time she saw him, she had felt a connection with him- she had felt safe with him, and she trusted him immediately.

They became fast friends, and soon after, Sorrelpaw began longing to be more.

"Sorrelpaw!" Her mentor, Twigheart, called her name from across the clearing in which the Clan had stopped to rest. "It's time to keep moving."

Ever since the Darkness had destroyed their home and killed most of the cats in the Clan, they had journeyed to find the four Clans by the lake.

Sorrelpaw fell in alongside her long-legged mentor, struggling to keep up due to her shorter legs.

Eaglestar dropped back to join his deputy.

He had been known as Eaglefoot, the young deputy, until a moon ago, when Mintstar, the former leader, had been killed by the Darkness. That was the day the decision to leave was made.

"Do you know how far away from the lake we are?" Eaglestar asked Twigheart. Eaglestar may have been the leader, but Twigheart was older, more experienced, and a clear choice for deputy when Eaglefoot had become Eaglestar.

"Brightsun said it should just be over this hill." Twigheart replied respectfully.

"Really?" Sorrelpaw brightened up considerably at this piece of information.

Refreshed by a spurt of excitement, the she-cat bounded to the top of the hill, and looked over the territory of the legendary Clans.

She was standing above a wide, open expanse of moor, where the WindClan cats would be free to run without obstacles standing in their way.

To one side was the forest, which looked most like home to Sorrelpaw. She guessed this was where ThunderClan lived, able to stalk through the undergrowth silently.

Across the lake was a dark forest of pines, so far away they blurred together to form one giant shadow. A shudder traveled along Sorrelpaw's spine as she thought of ShadowClan, the dark Clan, who wore the night like second pelts.

The last territory was full of streams and reeds, perfect for any cat who was a skilled swimmer and who was willing to eat fish- the home of RiverClan.

Then there was the lake itself. It covered most of Sorrelpaw's vision, and seemed to glow with a mysterious light in the shine of the moon.

Captivated, Sorrelpaw stared until the rest of the cats joined her at the crest of the hill.

"Is that the lake?" Stormkit, one of Song's kits, squeaked in amazement.

"Yes, dear, it is." Song sounded just as in awe as her son.

"Tonight is the night of the Gathering," Eaglestar began. "We will head towards the island."

They trekked through WindClan territory, briefly rejuvenated after their long journey by the idea of nearing comfort and rest.

Pebbles crunched underpaw as Sorrelpaw padded towards the fallen tree, which was smooth and nearly fully stripped of its bark.

Sinking her claws into the soft wood, the she-cat slowly but surely made her way across the tree-bridge.

She slipped once, but Twigheart steadied her, saving the young cat the humiliation of falling into the lake.

After making it across, Sorrelpaw waited for the rest of her Clan, watching carefully as Song and Junipertail helped their kits across, Song carrying Stormkit and Junipertail carrying Lightningkit.

Eaglestar looked over the cats, making sure everyone was present before continuing into the trees.

Sorrelpaw was overwhelmed by scents as she padded towards the clearing; she had never smelled so many cats in one place in her life!

Peering through the bushes, she saw a huge oak tree, with four cats perched on its branches.

_Those must be the leaders, _Sorrelpaw guessed.

There was a small, lithe white she-cat with pale gray eyes, a large, dangerous looking black-brown tom with dark amber eyes, an elderly, gray-and-white she-cat with ice-blue eyes, and a proud, brown tom with amber eyes.

Sorrelpaw gulped, nervous for the first time.

_What if the other Clans don't accept us? What if they chase us off? I'm not sure if SkyClan will be able to travel any farther._

She hesitated, wondering whether she should voice her concerns to her mentor and leader.

_Have faith, my dear Sorrelpaw, _a heart-achingly familiar voice sounded in Sorrelpaw's ears. _It's high time the Clans were together once more. They _will _accept you._

_Molepaw? Is that you? _Sorrelpaw smelled his scent wash over her, and felt his warm body brush against hers.

_I told you I would always be with you, my love._

Reassured by Molepaw's presence, Sorrelpaw padded forward with the rest of her Clan, and prepared to step out into the clearing.

Yowls of shock and uneasiness swept through the other four Clans as SkyClan stepped into the clearing. The four leaders on the Great Oak stood up, fur bristling.

"Who are you?" the small white she-cat demanded to know.

"I am Eaglestar, and we are SkyClan- the lost Clan." Eaglestar's answer was confident, but Sorrelpaw just felt more nervous as the cats started murmuring in disbelief and unrest.

Eaglestar continued, his voice louder to be heard over the growing clamor.

"Our Clan was driven out of the forest territories long ago, when Twolegs destroyed our home. The other Clans refused to help us, and we were forced to find a new home. Now, our home has been destroyed, and we come here for help, in hope that you will let us stay."

The leaders conversed for many long moments, and with each passing heartbeat, Sorrelpaw became more and more nervous.

Finally, the large, black-brown leader stood up and spoke.

"We have agreed to let you stay here on the island, at least for tonight. We wish to speak with you, Eaglestar, about your condition. Tomorrow, please bring your deputy and medicine cat to the tree-bridge, and all the other leaders will do the same. Then, we will discuss the situation."

Eaglestar dipped his head in consent, and the leaders led their Clans off of the island.

Now that the excitement was over, Sorrelpaw felt exhaustion flood through her veins. Stifling a yawn, she approached her mentor and asked if there was anything she should do.

"You should get some sleep; you can care for the Clan in the morning."

Sorrelpaw was too tired to argue with her mentor's answer, and went in search of a place to rest.

She found a secluded space in between the roots of an oak tree, and, after scraping some moss and leaves into the shallow dip, curled up in her makeshift nest.

She had barely closed her eyes when the soft, velvet blackness of sleep threatened to overtake her- and Sorrelpaw welcomed it.

**Whew! That was a hard chapter for me to write. I hope you liked it! But I won't know what you thought if you don't tell me, so please review! I am also accepting OCs for the story. Your OC can either be a cat outside the Clans who ends up joining (if you want; I'm okay with you staying as a act outside the Clans), or you can be Clanborn, and I will insert your OC into the story as a kit.**

**If you would like to submit a cat outside the Clan, please use the format below:**

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Clan you would like to join: (if any)**

**Rank: (i.e. rogue, kittypet, etc., plus the rank you would like to be if you join a Clan)**

**Kin: (optional)**

**Extra details: (optional)**

**If you would like to submit a Clanborn cat, please use the format below:**

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Clan:**

**Rank:**

**Kin: (optional)**

**Extra details: (optional)**

**Thanks for your help and support!**

**-Willowsmoke**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! I rewrote Chapter 3, and I think it's somewhat better. So, I hope you like it better than the original.**

Chapter 3

Amberpaw's tail twitched impatiently as Flamepaw refused to wake up. Prodding his ginger brother in the flank, yet again, he couldn't suppress a growl of annoyance.

Flamepaw had always been a heavy sleeper, something he had inherited from their mother, Quickfire.

Amberpaw sat down next to his brother's nest, pondering how he would wake him up. He could just shout in Flamepaw's ear- _No, that'll just wake up the whole camp, and there is no guarantee that _he _will wake up._

Next to Amberpaw, Flamepaw let out a huge snore. Having reached the end of his patience, the dark reddish-ginger tom jumped up in the air, landing on his brother's flank.

Flamepaw made a strangled noise as he was awakened, and lifted his head to yell at his brother.

Amberpaw quickly swept his tail across the white-pawed tom's mouth before he could speak.

"Shut up!" He hissed. "Do you _want _to wake up the entire Clan?"

Flamepaw's ice-blue eyes narrowed as he swatted Amberpaw's tail away. "Are you trying to make me mad, brother? Because that's what it looked like when you woke me up."

Amberpaw rolled his eyes, struggling to contain his frustration. "I thought you _wanted_ to go to the meeting with the SkyClan cats."

Flamepaw looked confused for a moment, before realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh, that's right! We were going to eavesdrop on them!"

Amberpaw heaved a huge sigh. "_Now_ you're catching on. Come on; we should go before Snowstar, Sleetstorm, and Birdwing leave, and try to get there before the other Clans."

Flamepaw started to follow him out of the den, before pausing. "Hey, what about Sunnypaw? Won't she want to come too?"

Amberpaw glanced behind him at Sunnypaw and Brightpaw, who were still curled up, asleep, in their nests. "I already asked Sunnypaw if she would come with us, but she said Brightpaw already made her promise not to go with us if we decided to sneak out. And you know how Sunnypaw _never_ breaks her promises."

Flamepaw just flicked his ears in response, but still followed his smaller brother out of the den. Quietly, they slid out the Dirtplace tunnel and onto the moor.

Breathing in the scents of wind and heather, Amberpaw arched his back in a long stretch. Flamepaw shifted impatiently beside him.

"Are we going to go, or not?"

Amberpaw stood up, stretching each of his legs one at a time.

"Of course we're going to go. I'll race you there." Amberpaw had started running as soon as the words left his mouth, enjoying the blissful feeling of the breeze in his fur.

He could hear Flamepaw's clumsier, louder pawsteps behind him, but Amberpaw didn't worry. There was no way Flamepaw could ever beat him in a race.

Before long, Amberpaw came to a graceful halted by the tree-bridge, while Flamepaw skidded on the pebbles behind him. Amberpaw made no comment about his brother's clumsy stop, just twitched an ear and led the way across to the Gathering island.

The log was smooth and pale, littered with claw marks from the many cats who had crossed it in the past.

He and his littermate made it across without slipping. Upon leaping down onto the pebbles, Amberpaw turned to face his brother.

"We'll hide in the bushes over there." He mewed, pointing with his tail to a large clump of holly bushes near the tree-bridge. Flamepaw nodded wordlessly, slipping into the bushes after Amberpaw.

The pair got into comfortable positions in their hiding spot while waiting for the meeting to start. Beside him, Flamepaw stiffened, his ginger fur rising along his spine as he lifted his muzzle to scent the air.

"What?" Amberpaw hissed. Flamepaw opened his jaws to answer, but was interrupted by a stranger's voice.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Amberpaw attempted to whirl around, but got tangled in the branches and leaves of the bush. Yanking himself free, he slid out from under the bush to face the stranger, Flamepaw at his side.

She looked to be about his age, maybe a bit younger, with a tortoiseshell-and-white pelt and odd violet eyes. She looked curious and somewhat wary, but not dangerous, so Amberpaw sheathed his claws.

"We're just here to see the meeting." He explained evenly, hoping she wouldn't challenge him.

But he didn't have to worry, for any trace of hesitation in her eyes vanished, to be replaced by excitement.

"Really? That's what I'm doing too! My name's Sorrelpaw, and I'm from SkyClan; what about you?"

Amberpaw blinked slowly while Flamepaw shuffled his paws uncomfortably. This she-cat was oddly cheerful and excitable, but it was probably best just to humor her.

Flamepaw spoke up for the first time. "I'm Flamepaw, and this is my brother, Amberpaw. We're apprentices of WindClan."

Sorrelpaw blinked happily. "Great!" She glanced behind the apprentices. "Oh, there's cats coming! We should probably hide!"

The three apprentices slid under the holly bush, hiding themselves from view but enabling them to watch. Heading the group of three cats was an elderly, gray-and-white she-cat with wise and experienced ice-blue eyes. Following her, with a slight limp, was a black tom with a twisted forepaw and different eye colors- one was amber, the other, blue. The last cat in line was a dark gray tom with sea-green eyes.

Amberpaw heard Sorrelpaw's loud voice in one ear, and could barely suppress a sigh. "Who are they?"

_This is going to be a long morning._

* * *

Amberpaw impatiently as the groups left the island, one at a time. Sorrelpaw had already left, much to his relief, but he was unbelievably stiff from staying in the same position for the entire duration of the unbelievably long meeting.

At last, only WindClan was left. Amberpaw glanced uneasily at the sun. It was well past sunrise, and his mentor, Rabbitprance, would be looking for him. _I am so dead when Rabbitprance sees me again._

He heard Snowstar's voice from outside the holly bush.

"Amberpaw, Flamepaw, you can come out."

_Or maybe, I'm dead now._

**So, what did you think? Amberpaw is a hard character for me to write about, probably because his personality is so different from my own. But, I tried, and I think I did a fair job. This chapter is definitely not my best work, but it's not my worst, either, so it's an improvement. I will try to update as soon as possible.**


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